Metallic building blocks and key construction



y 19, 1954 .1. E. HASKINS 3,133,616

METALLIC BUILDING BLOCKS AND KEY CONSTRUCTION Filed June 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 JOHN E. HAS/(INS,

INVENTOR.

HERZ/G l JESSUP, BY A TTORNEKS'.

May 19, 1964 J. E. HASKINS 3,133,616

METALLIC BUILDING BLOCKS AND KEY CONSTRUCTION Filed June 29, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HERZ/G & JESSUP, BY ATTORNEYS.

y 1954 J. E. HASKINS 3,133,616

METALLIC BUILDING BLOCKS AND KEY CONSTRUCTION JOHN EHASK/NS; INVENTOR HERZ/G 8 JESSUP,

A TTORNEYS- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 29, 1959 States Patent C) 3,133,616 METALLIC BUILDING BLOCKS AND KEY CGNSTRUCTION John E. Haskins, 13502 Ventura Blvd.,

' Sherman flaks, Calif. Filed June 29, 1959, Ser. No. 823,460 3 Claims. (Cl. 189-2) This invention relates to a building construction and more particularly to a construction of a wall, panel, or the like, comprising a plurality of blocks or frames of unique construction and key lock means associated therewith for securement thereof whereby the wall may be fabricated in any desired height.

More specifically, this invention embodies a unique building construction contemplating the use of a plurality of blocks or frames of a relatively rigid and preferably noncombustible material which are secured in edge-toedge relationship by keylock means associated with corners thereof in such manner that a very rigid structural wall of varying proportions may be constructed for the use in temporary or permanent building construction. The wall, when completed, with a membrane or skin secured thereto, provides a wall which is fireproof, vermin-proof, weatherproof and easy to construct, yet is sturdy, rigid and has a bearing capacity normally required of a structural building wall.

Heretofore buildings, such as private or public buildings, have been subject to destruction by fire, weather, infestation by insects, dry rot and other causes, because of the wide use of wood and other destructible materials whereby immeasurable loss in life and property is suffered. Furthermore, because of the high cost of labor, being the largest proportion of building cost, the cost of a building construction has been steadily increasing without offering any additional strength, protection or flexibility in design. By the use of wood, or previous attempt of use of metal, flexibility of design prohibits prefabrication of buildings, requiring the greatest part of the fabrication to be done at the site of the building.

It is contemplated by this invention and therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved building construction employing prefabricated frames of high tensile strength which can be easily and readily assembled on the site of the-building to form a new and improved structural wall or panel having a great loadbearing capacity.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved design of a frame which is readily formed of a noncombustible, yet relatively-rigid material, such as metal, or the like, to provide a wall or panel which is weatherproof, vermin-proof, insect-proof and not subject to constant renovation of exterior surface.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved key-lock means for securing together a desired plurality of the frames of the character described by.

which means panels or walls of varying dimensions may be prefabricated or optionally assembled at the site of construction.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved building construction which may be formed into any desired cross-sectional configuration, such as an orthogonal building, one having a semicircular configuration commonly known as a Quonset-type of building, or a dome-shaped building.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a building construction which is easily and readily adaptable for containing and receiving therethrough various utility conduits, such as electric conduits, vents or plumbmg.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved building construction in which the 3,133,616 Patented May 19, 1964 component parts thereof are economical to manufacture, capable of mass production, capable of prefabrication or economical and practical assembly thereof at the site of construction.

" A general object of this invention is to provide a new and improved building construction which overcomes disadvantages of prior means and methods heretofore intended to accomplish generally the same purpose.

These and other objects of this invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, in elevation, of a section of wall designed and constructed in accordance with this invention, with parts broken away for greater clarity;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional View as taken substantially along a line 22 of FIGURE 1, the view being substantially foreshortened for purposes of greater clarity;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side view, in elevation, illustrating a portion of the Wall illustrated in FIGURE 1, with parts broken away for greater clarity;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, illustrating another portion of the wall illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fastening means employed therein;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a further fastening means employed therein;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical fragmentary cross-sectional view taken through the frames at the position of the stand pipe 60 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view, similar to FIGURE 7, illustrating installation of electrical conduits in the panel illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view as taken laterally through a building of a modified configuration;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical crosssectional view illustrating a portion of FIGURE 9 in greater detail; and

FIGURE 11 is a side view, in elevation, thereof, with parts broken away for greater clarity.

. Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown, by way of illustration, but not of limitation, a building construction generally referred to by the numeral 10, the construction being in the form of a relatively-fiat uniplanar wall or panel designed and constructed in accordance with this invention. The wall 10 comprises a plurality of polygonal frames or blocks 11 juxtaposed in edge-to-eclge relationship and secured by key lock means 12 and 13 associated therewith and covered on its interior and exterior surfaces by membranes or skins 14 and 16, respectively. The wall 10 is supported as'on a foundation 17 provided with a channel member 18, having upturned flanges 19 in which the lowermost frames 11 reside,- and is capped as by a downwardly facing channel member 21 having downturned flanges 22 to retain the membrane 14 and 16 in securement upon the wall, as will be hereinafter described, and to weatherproof the wall.

Each frame 11, 11' is tubular and provided with relatively-fiat outer vertical side edges 23 and 24 for edge-toedge abutment with a horizontally adjacent frame, an edge 23 bearing against an edge 24. The frames further include upper and lower outer horizontal edges 26 and 27, respectively, for abutment with adjacent vertical frames whereby an upper edge 26 may be secured in abutment with a lower edge 27 of an adjacent frame,

one edge 23, 24 of a frame being in orthographic relationship to an adjacent edge 26, 27 of the frame. The corners formed by adjacent edges are beveled to provide angular outer edges 28, which are preferably orthographic in relation to an adjacent angular edge 28 of an adjacent frame.

To increase the tensile strength of the frames 11 and thereby eliminate the necessity of cross-bracing the members forming the edges, a centrally extending web or reinforcing member in the form of a continuous strip is provided in each frame. In the frame 11, the web member 29 is continuous and substantially perpendicular to the outer edges, whereas the web 31 of an adjacent frame 11' is likewise continuous and substantially parallel to the outer edges of the frame. Increased tensile strength of the wall is accomplished by staggering or alternating frames 11 and 11, as best seen in FIGURES 1, 3 and 4, with the exception of selective rows as the row 32 in FIGURE 1, as will be hereinafter described, for the purpose of providing plumbing, or other utility conduits extending through the wall.

It has been found most practical to prefabricate the frames 11, see FIGURE 8, by the provision of a pair of members 33 and 34 having U-shaped cross-sections and open faces 35 and 36 respectively, facing each other along a plane substantially perpendicular to the outer edges of the frame and closed by securement of discrete members 37 and 38 of the web means 29, whereafter the members 37 and 38 may be secured, as by spot-Welding, butt-welding or the like, to form a unitary frame 11 of tubular construction, having in fact a pair of annular cavities or chambers 39 and 41.

The frames 11, on the other hand, are preferably formed with inner and outer angular channel members 42 and 43, respectively, having outer and inner open faces, respectively, and closed by continual strip members 44 and 46 welded or otherwise secured to the flanges of the channel members 42 and 43, whereafter the strips 44 and 46 may be secured together, as by welding or the like, to provide a unitary frame member 11'. The frames 11 and 11', having web members 29 and 31 in substantially perpendicular or orthographic relationship, are substantially increased in tensile strength.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, the frames 11 and 11' are, as previously mentioned, arranged alternately whereupon a frame 11 is horizontally and vertically juxtaposed to a frame 11. The frames 11 and 11 are secured together by a key-lock means 12, the key-lock comprising an orthogonal member having outer edge surfaces 47 complementary to the outer angular surfaces 28 of the adjoining frames 11 and 11. The key-lock 12 is preferably reinforced by cross-members or braces 48 welded or otherwise secured thereto to form a very rigid member. The frames 11 and 11 are secured to the key-lock members as by fastening means 49, in the form of bolts or rivets, extending through the angular portion of each frame and through the key-lock 12, as best illustrated in FIGURE 3. It will be noted that because of the central location of the web means 29 and 31, the web 29 of the frames 11 is vertical. For this reason the fastening means 49 are preferably staggered or separated whereby one bolt will pass through the cavity 39 and the other through the cavity 41 without disturbing the web means or weakening the web means 29 in any manner.

For purposes of consistency and interchangeability, the bolts 51 extending. through the frame members 11 are preferably likewise staggered or may optionally be aligned centrally therethrough. The uppermost frames 11 and 11, as best seen in FIGURE 1, are preferably locked together at their adjacent upper angular surfaces 28 by modified key-lock means 13 which are substantially triangular in form and reinforced by a web or brace if desired (not illustrated) whereby the upper edge surface 52 of each key-lock 13 is substantially coplanar with the upper surfaces 26 of the frames.

Similarly, the lowermost frames 11 and 11' are secured together at their lowermost angular surfaces 28 by key-lock means 13 whereby the outer edge surfaces 52 of each key-lock means is substantially co-planar with the lower surfaces 27 of the frames and co-planar with the upper surface 53 of the channel member 18 retained in the foundation 1'7. The key-locks 13 are secured to adjacent frames 11 and 11, similarly to the manner of fastening the key-lock 12 in which fastening means 49 are similarly employed. The lowermost edge surface 52 is secured to the surface 53 of the channel member 18 by studs or bolts 54 extending upwardly from the foundation 17 and through the channel member 53.

The frames 11 and 11' are preferably reinforced by perforated strips 56 to distribute the load of the fasteners 49 and thereby prevent injury to the frame members 11-11 when secured by the fasteners 49. Windows may be provided by omitting a selective frame to form a space 50 for a window frame, the adjacent frames being secured by modified key lock means 15 similar to the key 12 with the omission of one of the edges 47.

It will now be more clearly understood from the foregoing description that a wall or panel may be fabricated by juxtaposing frames 11 and 11 of polygonal and orthogonal configuration by the provision of any desired number of frame members to produce a Wall 10 of any desired height or length in increments of the size of the frames. The frames 11, 11' are preferably prefabricated in most practical increments such as 36 or 48 inches which, when assembled, provide walls of conventional proportions. As seen in FIGURE 1, key-locks like 12 may be provided to tie into additional frames 11, 11' or if desired, a wall similar to the wall 10 may be secured in angular relationship to the wall 10 by bolting as through apertures 58 extending therethrough.

If it is desired to extend plumbing, electric conduits, or other utility means through the Wall 10, it is preferable to arrange, in a vertical row, such as the row 32 in FIGURE 1, a plurality of adjoining frames constructed such as the frame 11 whereby aligned apertures 59 may be provided through which a standpipe, such as 60, may be extended for use in the plumbing system. Other pipes as desired may be similarly extended through the wall. As seen in FIGURE 8, flexible or rigid electrical conduits, indicated at 61, may be extended through adjoining frames 11 and 11' by provision of aligned apertures 62 extending through the flanges of the channel member 33, forming a part of the frame 11 and aligned apertures 63 extending through the tubular member 11 and the Web means 31 whereby the conduit 61 may extend through a tubular member of the frame 11 and the cavity 39 or 41, whichever is aligned or convenient, and hence through the open area 64 of each frame.

To enclose the wall 10, the exterior and interior surfaces, are covered by a skin or membrane 14 and 16, respectively. Each membrane 14, 16 is provided with fastening means 71 in the form of clips 72 welded or otherwise secured to the internal surface 73 of each membrane 1416 as by a flange 74. The clip 72 is angularly disposed whereby a tongue 76 thereof may be quickly and easily inserted into apertures 77 provided along upper edges of the frames 11 and 11 adjacent the edges 26. The membranes 14 and 16 are retained in place by gravity to retain the tongue 76 within the apertures and are prevented from vertical removal by the channel 21 which is installed on the upper portion of the wall 10 after mounting of the membranes. To further secure the membranes, the clips may be provided with side notches 78 indicated in FIGURE 5 whereby the membranes may be shifted in the direction of the notches to engage the notches with the edges 79 of the aperture 77 and thereby prevent removal thereof.

In the event it is preferred to use notches such as 73 and clips such as 72, a simpler form of clip as indicated at 72' may be employed wherein the membrane may be pushed against the wall 10 and lifting of the membrane eliminated such as required in the angularly disposed clips 72, the removal of the membranes 14' being prevented by the engagement of the notch 7 8' with the apertures 77. Although FIGURES 1 and 2 illustrate using a pair of clips 72 on each membrane to engage an uppermost frame 11 through aperture '77, along the upper edge thereof, and a pair of apertures 77 extending through the lowermost portion of the frames, any number of apertures '77, 77' and clips 72, or optionally '72, may be employed as desired and as required. A roofing structure, indicated generally at 80, may be secured to the wall and adjoining walls by providing a Z-shaped clip 81 having one leg extending inwardly into the building, away from the Wall 10, and another leg held captive between the upper surface of the wall 10 and the channel member 21, whereafter conventional roofing materials such as hotmopped roofing paper, tile, shingle or the like, may be installed and supported by the walls 10.

It will be now more clearly understood by the foregoing description that, by the provision of the multiple frame construction, using frames 11 and 11, noncombustible material such as metal may be practicably employed to construct a wall which is fireproof, verminproof, insect-proof and not subject to rotting. A membrane 14, 16 may be likewise made of sheet metal, such as aluminum, steel, or the like, to further insure the building against loss by the above-mentioned hazards. It will be understood that, although the principal object of this invention is to provide means for constructing a practical, all-metal wall, non-bearing walls of other materials may be considered within the scope of this invention; such materials as plastics, or the like, being employed for the construction thereof.

It is further contemplated, within the scope of this invention, to provide buildings of various cross-sectional configurations. As an example, in FIGURE 9 there is illustrated a building 84 of a Quonset-type, semi-circular configuration wherein adjacent frames 11 and 11' are arranged in horizontal rows 87, the rows 87 being stacked and joined to form a semi-circular pattern. The rows 87 may be secured by longitudinal, elongated beams 85 having channels 86 formed at opposite edges thereof in which edges of the frames 11 and 11' reside. As best seen in FIGURE 11, the frames 11, 11 are secured to each other and to a beam 85 by the previously described key-lock means 13. The base of the triangular key-lock means 13 is secured to the beam 85 as by additional fastening means 49. It has been found that in this manner Quonset-type buildings may be constructed of any desired length or radius, depending on the size of the frames 11 and 11', and outer membranes like membranes 14 and 16 secured to the rows 87 in the manner previously described.

A dome-shaped building (not shown) may be similarly constructed by providing successively bent key lock beams, similar to the beam 85 in cross-section. Optionally, the upper and lower frame members 26, 27 and side members 23, 24 and the key lock beams like 85 may be arcuately formed to form a spherical structure.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and methods.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A building structure comprising: a plurality of rela tively rigid polygonal frames, each having a pair of substantially flat parallel side outer edges, upper and lower parallel outer edges and an angular outer edge interconnecting said side edges and said upper and lower edges, said side edges of one of said frames being juxtapositionable to said side edges of adjacent frames, said upper and lower edges being juxtapositionable to lower and upper edges of adjacent frames; key-lock means associated with adjoining angular edges of said frames for locking said frames together, each of said frames being tubular and including a continual centrally extending web adjacent each edge and spaced therefrom, a membrane member of non-combustible material juxtaposed to said frames and clip means on said membrane, said clip means having angular positions; each of said frames including a plurality of apertures, each of said clip means being engageable with a selective aperture for retaining said membranes in juxtaposition to said frames, and a channel member secured to said upper edges of the uppermost of said frames to prevent said membrane from shifting and thereby releasing said clips from said apertures.

2. A building structure comprising: a plurality of relatively rigid polygonal frames, each having a pair of substantially flat, parallel side outer edges, upper and lower parallel outer edges and an angular outer edge interconnecting said side edges and said upper and lower edges, said side edges of one of said frames being juxtapositionable to said side edges of adjacent frames, said upper and lower edges being juxtapositionable to lower and upper edges of adjacent frames; key-lock means associated with adjoining angular edges of said frames for locking said frames together, each of said frames being tubular and including a continual centrally extending web, the web of selective frames being substantially parallel to each edge thereof, the web of an adjacent frame being substantially perpendicular to each edge thereof, said frames being arranged linearly with side edges thereof juxtaposed to side edges of adjacent frames and elongated beam members having outer edges juxtaposed to upper and lower edges of said linearly arranged frame members, and said key-lock means being associated with adjacent frames and an adjacent edge of said beams for locking said frames and beams together.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said edges of said beams are in non-parallel planes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 870,356 Gammeter Nov. 5, 1907 1,164,843 Moad Dec. 21, 1915 1,482,250 Parsons Jan. 29, 1924 1,985,196 Tashjian Dec. 18, 1934 2,139,322 Miner Dec. 6, 1938 2,202,861 Mills June 4, 1940 2,273,775 Strong Feb. 17, 1942 2,347,756 Swenson May 2, 1944 2,420,715 Millward May 20, 1947 2,725,127 Barrett Nov. 29, 1955 2,735,523 Leyerle et a1 Feb. 21, 1956 2,801,717 Schlumbohm Aug. 6, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 524,704 Italy Apr. 29, 1955 1,083,109 France June 23, 1954 

1. A BUILDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY RIGID POLYGONAL FRAMES, EACH HAVING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PARALLEL SIDE OUTER EDGES, UPPER AND LOWER PARALLEL OUTER EDGES AND AN ANGULAR OUTER EDGE INTERCONNECTING SAID SIDE EDGES AND SAID UPPER AND LOWER EDGES, SAID SIDE EDGES OF ONE OF SAID FRAMES BEING JUXTAPOSITIONABLE TO SAID SIDE EDGES OF ADJACENT FRAMES, SAID UPPER AND LOWER EDGES BEING JUXTAPOSITIONABLE TO LOWER AND UPPER EDGES OF ADJACENT FRAMES; KEY-LOCK MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH ADJOINING ANGULAR EDGES OF SAID FRAMES FOR LOCKING SAID FRAMES TOGETHER, EACH OF SAID FRAMES BEING TUBULAR AND INCLUDING A CONTINUAL CENTRALLY EXTENDING WEB ADJACENT EACH EDGE AND SPACED THEREFROM, A MEMBRANE MEMBER OF NON-COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL JUXTAPOSED TO SAID FRAMES AND CLIP MEANS ON SAID MEMBRANE, SAID CLIP MEANS HAVING ANGULAR POSITIONS; EACH OF SAID FRAMES INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES, EACH OF SAID CLIP MEANS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH A SELECTIVE APERTURE FOR RETAINING SAID MEMBRANES IN JUXTAPOSITION TO SAID FRAMES, AND A CHANNEL MEMBER SECURED TO SAID UPPER EDGES OF THE UPPERMOST OF SAID FRAMES TO PREVENT SAID MEMBRANE FROM SHIFTING AND THEREBY RELEASING SAID CLIPS FROM SAID APERTURES. 